Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

The highest decision-making body of the Ming Dynasty is actually the highest meeting of cabinet ministers and six ministry officials chaired by Zhu Youtang. Whether it is national strategy or important personnel appointments, decisions are usually made here.

Inadvertently, important personnel appointments were quietly transferred here.

Although Zhu Youtang has gradually abandoned the Jiuqing Tingtui established by the Yingzong Dynasty, the highest decision-making meeting is now different from the serving officer system, and all important ministers participating in the meeting have certain rights to participate.

Especially from the cabinet to the six ministries, everyone is now Zhu Youtang's man, so naturally no one will jump out to sing the opposite.

This is exactly the case. It is also the final decision of the emperor to make personnel appointments, but there are few objections in the court, and even important ministers silently support this model.

In fact, those who suffered the most were the ministers of Dali Temple, Taichang Temple, and the left and right general officials and other non-six ministry officials who were above the fourth rank, but these people were destined to be unable to make waves.

The empire under Zhu Youtang's administration is now flourishing.

The Liaodong War is only one of the topics at this meeting. In addition to participating in the Chao-Ming mutual trade on the island, another important theme of this meeting is to finalize the candidates for the examiner of this year's Enke Township Examination.

In order to prevent collusion between the examiners of the rural examinations and the supervisors and supervisors, Zhu Youtang decided to break the traditional model of selecting examiners for the rural examinations, but decided that all examiners of the rural examinations should be officials from the capital.

Although it takes longer and more expensive for Beijing officials to travel to remote provinces, such as nearly fifty days to Nanchang, the investment is actually worth it out of consideration for the fairness of talent selection.

The important ministers present were already aware of the shortcomings of the imperial examinations in remote provinces. Even Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, and Jia Jun, the Minister of Industry, took a special look at Wan'an and knew that this issue should indeed be dealt with.

Now that Zhu Youtang saw the fraud problem in the rural examination and proposed a solution, in addition to admiring the emperor's wisdom, he naturally agreed to this important reform.

Officials such as the Minister of Personnel are actually happy to do this. After all, they are selecting Beijing officials to take up their posts, which invisibly enhances the status of the current Beijing officials, especially the doctors of the Six Bureaus, which have become more valuable.

As today's issues were all concluded, the sixteen important ministers left the sacred Heart Cultivation Hall one after another.

Since the new administrative center was established here, the communication between the monarch and his ministers has obviously become faster and more efficient, and it has won the unanimous support of important ministers.

"Your Majesty said that the examiners of the rural examination are not limited to Hanlin. This is really rare!"

"It is indeed not advisable for some old Hanlin officials to travel long distances, and it is better for them to be mainly young and strong officials!"

"You must be young and strong as well as have good moral character. I'm afraid it's hard to find such an official!"

"Don't think about talking about seniority every day, give more opportunities to the younger generation, they may not be bad!"

…

Wan An and Liu Ji went to the new pavilion outside to draft a memorial. The remaining fourteen officials of the Six Departments left from Xiyuan Gate. Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, and others seemed to be in a lively conversation, and were communicating with the examiners from various provinces. of selection.

"Shilang Liu, please stay!"

"Eunuch Liu, what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty invites you to Tingchao Pavilion!"

"Ah? Please ask Eunuch Liu to lead the way!"

Liu Xuan, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was a skinny little old man. He was suddenly stopped by Liu Jin. When he learned that it was his Majesty who had summoned him, he immediately straightened his clothes and made a gesture of invitation to Liu Jin.

As Xu Pu, the former left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, hanged himself, Liu Xuan, the right minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was successfully replaced as the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, becoming the second-in-command of the Yamen of the Ministry of Personnel.

It's just that humility and prudentness seem to be integrated into his bones. This usually low-key official minister has always remained loyal to Zhu Youtang. He especially respects Zhu Youtang when he sees how he managed the Ming Dynasty in an orderly manner.

"Please!" Liu Jin was not a arrogant eunuch, so he immediately made a gesture of invitation.

Tingchao Pavilion is located in the protruding fan-shaped area on the east bank of Taiye Lake. It was originally a banana garden, but now it has been turned into a corridor and attic facing the lake.

It's summer, and the lakes and mountains, lush trees, colorful flowers and plants, reflected in the blue sky and white clouds, make this place a fairyland.

Although Zhu Youtang is only an eighteen-year-old young man, he is becoming more mature. A sparse beard has grown under his chin, and his eyes are getting deeper.

Whether in his previous life or in this life, he did not have many hobbies, and fishing was one of them.

He fished here every day in his free time. He originally wanted Fan Jindiao and Qingyue to fish together, but the two women had no interest in fishing.

Although it was already dusk, the weather was still a bit sultry, so the two beautiful palace maids were fanning themselves.

The fragrant tea, cool breeze and 700 acres of water where one person can fish alone are simply a paradise for fishermen.

As the wooden buoy sank, Zhu Youtang's eyes flashed with joy, and he raised the fishing rod, and a heavy yellow perch was caught.

The most thrilling moment for fishermen is when they raise the pole. They not only feel the sense of accomplishment of catching the fish, but also look forward to what kind of fish they will catch this time.

"Your Majesty, this sea bass is so big!" Guo Yong stepped forward to catch this lively wild yellow sea bass and exclaimed with great joy.

When Zhu Youtang saw that what he caught was actually a yellow perch, he showed a satisfied smile and said: "Although it is not as good as the one the day before yesterday, this one is indeed vigorous!"

"Your Majesty, please have tea!" The beautiful palace maid in charge of making tea, with delicate hands, said as she brought the teacup over.

Zhu Youtang put down the fishing rod in his hand and was not in a hurry to continue fishing. Instead, he picked up the tea he had just made and leaned lazily on the soft bed. Then he turned and looked at Liu Xuan with a smile, who had been standing next to him for a long time.

Some people's lives are closely related to noble people. Although Liu Xuan, the left minister of the Ministry of official affairs, is already very prosperous, he can be said to have been very depressed when he was young.

Liu Xuan was originally from Anfu, Jiangxi Province. Although he was sent to a private school to study like many farm children when he was young, due to the death of his father and some changes, he was actually transferred to Lulong.

Although he suffered this change when he was young, when he was feeding the horses for the commander of the guards, he always used his free time to study in the stable day and night. Later, he attracted the attention of Zou Laixue, the governor of Jizhou.

Because he sympathized with Liu Xuan's experience and admired Liu Xuan's diligence and talent, Zou Laixue, the governor of Jizhou, asked Liu Xuan to study with his two sons, and often taught them himself in his spare time.

Liu Xuan lived up to the cultivation of Zou Laixue. He first passed the Shuntian Provincial Examination High School and won the second-class Jinshi in the second year of Jingtai, and entered the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi.

It's just that going from a soldier who feeds horses to an official in the Imperial Academy seems to have exhausted his life. Because he is not good at drilling camps and has no background and backing, it is very difficult for him to walk on the road of being a Ci minister.

Normally, the longest tenure of the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple is only nine years, but he was actually forced to serve in Taichang Temple for eleven years, and then he was directly transferred to Nanjing Imperial College to offer wine.

Perhaps because the court needed a weak right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, or because of his luck, Liu Xuan was changed to the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the 22nd year of Chenghua.

Because Xu Pu served as the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and there was also the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel above him, although he was the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he did not have a strong say in personnel affairs.

According to the script of history, the career of an official like Liu Xuan who has no background and is not very gregarious is coming to an end, and it is time to return to the Nanjing Nursing Home.

"Your Majesty, Liu Xuan, pays homage to your Majesty!" Liu Xuan had just not dared to disturb Zhu Youtang's fishing, but now that he saw Zhu Youtang looking over, he immediately saluted politely.

Zhu Youtang had already noticed this prudent official minister. He took a sip of tea and asked calmly: "Liu Qing, I have always heard that you like reading. When you were young, you read in the stable day and night. You must be very knowledgeable about military books." Get involved?"

"Reporting to your majesty, although I love reading, I dare not get involved in the art of war! At that time, my mentor Zou Laixue said that I was too honest and was not a talented military strategist. However, I did not dare to do what Zhao Kuo talked about on paper, so I rarely read military books. , and I never dare to dream about leading a battle!" Liu Xuan's eyes were very calm and he answered respectfully.

Zhu Youtang almost choked on the tea in his mouth, and asked very absurdly: "If you don't understand military affairs, why do you want to petition to be the governor of Liaodong?"

When Liu Jin heard this, he couldn't help but look at the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in a strange way. It was the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs who took the initiative to petition to be the governor of Liaodong.

"Your Majesty, I am stupid, please punish me for my oversight! I think what Liaodong needs now is to rectify the military and political affairs, and consolidate the grain reserves in Guangning, so that the imperial court can send out a large army at any time. If your Majesty wants me to conquer the Jurchen tribe, I will I dare not accept the order, not because I am greedy for life, but because I am not a talented person. Once I commit the crime of Datong Cai Xin and Xu Ning who underestimated the enemy and rushed into the enemy, I will not be able to escape the blame even if I die!" Liu Xuan realized that he had no right to the governor of Liaodong. There was a misunderstanding about my duties, so I immediately knelt down to apologize.

Zhu Youtang looked at Zuo Shilang, who had a good attitude, and said thoughtfully: "What do you mean when you arrive in Liaodong, the main thing is to consolidate the Guangning warehouse?"

"Your Majesty, in addition to consolidating the Guangning warehouse, we must also strictly enforce military discipline and find available generals for Your Majesty. But I am by no means a talented person who can lead the army!" Liu Xuan nodded lightly and added seriously at the same time.

Zhu Youtang drank the remaining tea in the cup and asked very seriously: "What should we do if the Jurchens invade?"

"Your Majesty, there are many soldiers in Liaodong today, and the Jurchens dare not invade!" Liu Xuan had a thorough understanding of the situation in Liaodong and was very sure of it.

Zhu Youtang knew that the Jianzhou Jurchens had not recovered their strength yet, and at most they would only send some people over to plunder them, but he seriously emphasized: "I said just in case!"

"Your Majesty, the way to use troops lies in integrity. There is no reason for the weak to defeat the strong! Today, the Liao army is strong and the enemy is weak. All we need is to block it with troops, cover it with water, and annihilate it according to the favorable location and the number of people. There is no need to be too nervous about the Jurchens! Liu Xuan raised his head and looked at Zhu Youtang, expressing his stance seriously.

Zhu Youtang looked at the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and asked very strangely: "Liu Qing, didn't you just say that you don't understand the art of war?"

"Your Majesty, the art of war requires continuous use of tactics, and strives to defeat the strong with the weak, but in Liaodong of the Ming Dynasty, we only need to attack it according to the usual methods! Although I am not an army commander, with the favorable geographical location and strong army of Liaodong, I will definitely not Let the Jurchens offend my Ming Dynasty!" Liu Xuan's eyes were clear and he said matter-of-factly.

Zhu Youtang looked at the prudent Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and found that he did have his own shining points. At least this Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs was self-aware.

Throughout the ages, many disasters have been caused by overestimating one's abilities. It was clear that only Adou had the talent, but in the end he had to do Zhuge Liang's work, and in the end it would only ruin the great country.

The biggest problem in Liaodong now is military supplies, not the lack of generals. There is indeed no need to lead the army.

If Liu Xuan arrives in Liaodong and can consolidate the Guangning warehouse, it will be like loading a bullet. Only in this way will Ming Dynasty have capital of its kind. If you really want to conquer the Jianzhou Jurchens then, just send Wang Yue, Wang Zhi or others.

Zhu Youtang's eyes softened, and he said calmly to Liu Xuan: "Liu Qing, stop kneeling, stand up and speak!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liu Xuan felt the change in Zhu Youtang's attitude and secretly thanked him with a sigh of relief.

Zhu Youtang had already decided that Liu Xuan would be the governor of Liaodong, but he still asked: "Liu Qing, you are already the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Why did you take the initiative to petition to go to Liaodong this time?"

"I entered the official position in the second year of Jingtai, but I have never been able to take up actual duties. Now every time I see the horizontal plaque in Yangxin Hall, I always feel guilty! Your Majesty must also feel that I am not a practical person, so I also want to serve in the official position. Make some achievements before now!" Liu Xuan said bitterly when faced with this problem.

Zhu Youtang was really not interested in the senior Ci minister, but he continued the tea ceremony calmly: "I have no such impression of you! It's just that I not only want to govern this country well, but also create a prosperous age. , I really hope that more officials with the ability to do things will take up important positions! As a Ci Minister, Liu Qing has been serving in a leisurely Yamen, will you think that I am being harsh? "

"I definitely have no such idea, but I feel that your majesty's employment strategy is the foundation of a strong country. Most of the officials are greedy for power, and they are not as good at talking about virtue as they are about ability. This time I took the initiative to petition to Liaodong, but it is actually for selfish reasons. Read it!" Liu Xuan shook his head gently, looking ashamed.

Zhu Youtang was holding the tea cup, raising his eyebrows slightly and said: "What are your personal thoughts!"

"Although I want to achieve some results, in fact I also have future considerations. I want to serve as the governor of Liaodong so that I can serve as the six ministers in the future. Please punish me!" Liu Xuan hesitated for a moment, and then said that he private thoughts.

Although he was successfully promoted to the position of Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs this time, he has realized that the current path to promotion is no longer based on seniority, but requires solid political achievements.

He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, can be said to have received a lot of divine grace, but he still could not be directly promoted from the left minister of the Ministry of War to the minister of the Ministry of War. Instead, he was sent to Shandong as the governor.

Now even though he is the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, if he cannot show corresponding political achievements, his future will actually be bleak.

Not to mention that he will aspire to be the Sixth Minister of the Ministry of Finance in the future, since he has been the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs for too long, it is more likely that he will be sent back to Nanjing to retire.

Because of this, he could only use the Governor of Liaodong as a springboard to make a career in this position, so that he could open the door to promotion through the six ministers.

For a moment, the atmosphere here suddenly became quiet. Although Liu Xuan adhered to the principle of not deceiving the emperor, he was also worried that Zhu Youtang really wanted to punish him severely.